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Prince Harry warns of ‘dangerous complacency’ in fight against HIV

25 July 2018

"Inspired by the growing alarm of the rate of new HIV infections among young women, this campaign is bravely tackling the root of this problem - the lack of awareness of HIV prevention amongst hard-to-reach young men", he said.

Elton John and Britain's Prince Harry launched a $1.2 billion initiative Tuesday to "break the cycle" of HIV transmission as scientists announced disappointing results in the quest for an AIDS cure.

Prince Harry and Elton John attended the 22nd International Aids Conference in Amsterdam to unveil the Men Star Coalition, which aims to help end the Aids epidemic by 2030. "It is time there was a global coalition to teach men to protect themselves, and in doing so it will teach them to better protect not only their wives and girlfriends, their sisters and daughters, but also critically their brothers and sons".

According to the Daily Express, the project will launch in Africa next year, where men will be encouraged to self-test for HIV to help stop the virus spreading.

Wurst added: "We deserve to live in a world free of HIV".

"If we want to end Aids once and for all, we must make men part of the solution".

The coalition brings together different partners - including the UN's Unitaid and the USA fund PEPFAR.

The pair's joint appearance comes just months after Elton John performed at the lunchtime reception of Harry's Royal Wedding to Meghan Markle.

Mega-pop star Elton John on Tuesday launched an angry tirade against the governments of Russian Federation and eastern Europe for discriminating against gays, warning they were hampering the fight against Aids.

Prince Harry introduced his long-time friend at the AIDS2018 conference, which was founded in 1985 - around the time Princess Diana began working to dispel the stigma attached to the disease.

He urged people to unite around the "smashing of a deadly stigma" surrounding HIV, "and calling out the prejudice that is still there".

"More and more leaders, they should be using the younger generation and the experiences you have", Prince Harry said.

John was a close friend of Harry's late mother, Princess Diana - who died in a vehicle accident in Paris in September 1997 - who in 1987 opened the UK's first purpose-built HIV/Aids unit.

The duke added: "We have to put power into the hands of the younger generation".

He continued: "There is a generational gap - there's a generational gap in pretty much every problem we have at the moment - but the younger generation not only have the solutions but have the capability to be able to solve these problems in a much shorter period". Yes, of course. You go back and watch The Crown and things like that, and in the 1950's Princess Margaret wasn't allowed to get married, because he was divorced.